


Lean On Me

by syriala



Series: Marvel Prompt Collection [90]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Rhodey Is a Good Bro, Sickness, throwing up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-04
Updated: 2017-05-04
Packaged: 2018-10-24 15:33:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10744578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/syriala/pseuds/syriala
Summary: Written for this prompt on Tumblr: Okay my headcanon is that Tony finally got 100% comfortable around Rhodey when he got a food poisoning or just his stomach didn't agree with sth, and Tony spent some time in the bathroom puking or with diarrhea and Rhodey didn't laugh at him, didn't complain and wasn't disgusted, he actually took care of him.





	Lean On Me

Tony couldn’t sleep. He was cold, so damn cold, even though Jarvis promised him that the room was on a more than normal room temperature. Tony didn’t feel it. He was shivering and had goosebumps everywhere.

On top of that his stomach kept hurting and Tony couldn’t quite find a position that worked for him. He tossed and turned around until he decided to get up and put on another layer, just so maybe he would get warm.

His stomach had a lot to say about getting up and Tony didn’t even make it to the drawer. He only had time to think ‘Oh, fuck’ before he hurried towards the bathroom, where he immediately hugged the toilet.

And not a second too early. He heaved and retched and couldn’t even spare a thought as to how disgusting it was what was happening because he hurt so damn much.

He hadn’t actually thrown up in years, at least till MIT, and he forgot what a horribly dreadful experience it was. Add to that the fact that his arc reactor was jostled with every heaving and you had the perfect combination for a horrible evening.

But it ended soon enough and Tony weakly pushed the flush.

“Jarvis?” he asked before he got up, and finally went to get that extra pullover.

“It appears your body is disagreeing to something,” Jarvis said and Tony snorted.

“You don’t say. But this is it then? I got it out and now I can sleep?”

“I am not sure, sir, but I would hope so,” Jarvis replied and Tony nodded, fully intending to do just that.

It was nearly an hour later when he had to get up again and race to the bathroom yet again, and Tony could tell that this wouldn’t be over so easily.

The heaving hurt his chest pretty badly and before this burst of sickness was over there were tears in his eyes.

“May I suggest a bowl with water, so the race to the bathroom won’t be so dire,” Jarvis helpfully said and Tony went to do just that.

He was glad he had the bowl when the retching started to be shorter and shorter apart, until eventually he had to hug the bowl every ten to fifteen minutes. He always went to wash it out and replace the water, just as he always drank something, but it was so much work, all of it.

Tony was pretty good in deciding when reaching for the bowl was really necessary and when it wasn’t and right now he was sitting upright in bed, the bowl with fresh water next to him, and he couldn’t help the tears that streamed down his face.

He was alone, he was still cold and so damn tired, and he was hurting pretty badly. Jarvis promised him that the arc reactor wasn’t dislodged and wasn’t actually in danger of being dislodged but it hurt so bad; every cramp of muscles around the hard metal took the breath out of him and Tony wished it would just stop.

“Shall I call a doctor?” Jarvis asked.

“And what would he do?” Tony weakly asked and there was a short pause.

“I believe he would set up an IV to regulate your water input.”

“So nothing against the actual throwing up.”

“I am afraid not,” Jarvis said and he sounded sorry too.

“Leave them be, no need to wake them for this then,” Tony managed to say right before he hunched over the bowl again.

The tears were flowing more freely now as Tony washed out the bowl yet again and he felt pretty miserable all over.

“Sir, do you want me to call Colonel Rhodes?” Jarvis asked him lowly and Tony’s immediate response was to say no.

But having Rhodey here would do a lot for him right now, no matter if he was going to make fun of him or if he was disgusted or just there for him. He couldn’t find his voice though, so he just nodded.

Jarvis had of course picked up on that and soon enough there was Rhodey on the line.

“Tony?” he asked and he sounded sleepy. Of course Tony had woken him up.

“I’m sorry, Rhodey, I didn’t mean to wake you,” Tony said and he had tried for firm or reassuring but even he could hear that he was close to bursting out in tears again.

“Tony, what happened?” Rhodey immediately asked and Tony felt warmed just thanks to his concern.

“I’m sick. Can you…can you come over? I don’t wanna be alone,” Tony mumbled, ashamed of his admission but Rhodey didn’t hesitate one second.

“Of course! I’ll be there in five minutes,” he promised and before Tony could protest, Rhodey wasn’t supposed to take War Machine for flights like this, he had already hung up.

When Rhodey finally did arrive Tony was in the middle of throwing up again but Rhodey was at his side in a second.

He steadied the bowl in his hands and stroke a warm hand soothingly up and down his back and Tony already felt better.

“Jesus, Tones, how long has this been going on?”

“For about three hours, Colonel,” Jarvis replied since Tony was still too busy throwing up even though there was hardly anything coming up anymore.

“What do you need?” Rhodey asked when Tony was done and gasping for breath.

“Can you just…be here?” he asked with his eyes closed.

“Of course. What question is that even. I’m always gonna be there for you. Now, let me get this replaced and get you something to drink and you can stay in bed for now.”

Rhodey took the bowl out of his hand and was gone a second later, but Tony could hear him moving around on Tony’s floor so he knew he hadn’t left him.

When he came back the bowl held fresh water and Rhodey brought him a glass of water as well.

“Try to sleep some, Tony. I’ll be here,” Rhodey said but Tony shook his head.

“Every ten, fifteen minutes,” he said without explanation and Rhodey cursed.

“How’s the arc doing?”

“Hurts,” Tony admitted.

“Anything I can do?”

“I tried warmth,” Tony said and pointed at a hot water bottle, “but my stomach doesn’t agree.”

“Damn,” Rhodey said with emphasis and Tony nodded his agreement.

“We’re gonna have to sit this out then. Don’t you worry, I got you now. You could have called earlier, you know that right?”

“It wasn’t so bad until right that moment,” Tony admitted and Rhodey pulled him into a hug, careful of the bowl and Tony’s stomach.

Rhodey was so obviously unafraid of catching whatever it was that Tony had and suddenly Tony wasn’t cold at all anymore.

“Thanks for coming and not making fun of me,” Tony said right before he hunched over the bowl again and Rhodey didn’t say anything but he was a steady presence at his side, his hand never leaving Tony’s back.

Eventually the time between throwing up got bigger and bigger and eventually Tony managed to fall asleep for a bit.

When he woke up again, he half expected Rhodey to be gone, but he was still there, sitting in the bed next to him, reading something on a tablet, but as soon as Tony was awake he reached for the bowl.

Tony shook his head right until he vigorously nodded and Rhodey was quick to hand it to him.

“Try to drink some more,” Rhodey said and handed him another glass of water while he got rid of what was in the bowl.

“I feel weak, Rhodey,” Tony admitted and Rhodey gave him a small sad smile.

“Of course you do. You didn’t sleep, you didn’t eat and this is taking a lot out of you. But you will get better. I’ll be here to take care of you.”

“Okay,” Tony mumbled and then fell asleep again.

He slept for longer this time and when he woke up he didn’t have to throw up again.

“You’re already doing better,” Rhodey promised even though Tony pretty much felt like shit.

“If you say so,” he gave back and Rhodey chuckled before he pulled Tony towards him.

He situated Tony against his chest, propped up and a warm line at Tony’s back.

“Okay?” he asked and Tony only hummed before he drifted off again.

Tony threw up one more time in the evening of that day, before he slept through the whole night and Rhodey spent the next day nursing him back to health. He brought him water and salt sticks, and when Tony was awake enough he even entertained him.

Tony had a pretty bad headache due to dehydration on top of his sore chest and so everything was pretty taxing that first day for him, but under Rhodey’s careful attention he was already feeling like a human again on the next morning.

When Tony was on his legs, doing stuff like any other normal adult, Rhodey was finally convinced that Tony was out of the woods.

“Thank you for being there for me,” Tony said right before Rhodey left and Rhodey pulled him in by the neck to press a kiss to his forehead.

“Always, Tony. All you have to do is ask. And if you can’t do that, just motion to Jarvis, I’m pretty sure he can tell me to come, too. Don’t go through something like this all on your own, okay? You don’t have to. I’ll always come for you.”

Tony had to blink away some tears at that before he pulled Rhodey into a crushing hug. Well, as crushing as he could muster with the meagre strength he had at the moment.

“I’ll remember that,” he mumbled into Rhodey’s neck.

“See that you do,” he said before he gently pushed Tony away. “I’ll come by tomorrow again to check up on you.”

Before Tony could open his mouth to say that he really didn’t have to, Rhodey shut him up with “I want to. There’s nothing you can do.”

“Alright then,” Tony said and then watched as Rhodey flew away with one last handwave.

If having friends was like having Rhodey, than Tony supposed having friends wasn’t such a bad thing at all.

**Author's Note:**

> This story also has a [post on Tumblr](http://bloody-bee-tea.tumblr.com/post/158125151146/okay-my-headcanon-is-that-tony-finally-got-100)
> 
> You can always find me on my [tumblr](http://bloody-bee-tea.tumblr.com/)


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